I am a survivor of organised and repeated child sexual abuse and domestic violence and I am looking for help to enable me to move into mental health supported accommodation.

Background

My abuse started in early childhood and continued until adolescence. It involved several different perpetrators including both of my parents and others close to me. Due to neglect and institutional failures I was not protected and instead repeatedly revictimized by others who knew about my vulnerability. I suffered severe amnesia and complex dissociative forms of PTSD lasting until adulthood as a result of serious psychological abuse and gaslighting. Further neglect, stigma, and misdiagnosis from mental health services also meant I was not appropriately helped to understand or work through the trauma (and misdiagnosed neurodivergence), leaving me vulnerable.

In early 2023 I became housing insecure mid-way through my final year of university. This was just as I was beginning to reprocess the trauma from my childhood, and without support I fell into another abusive relationship. I suffered intimate partner assault which further traumatised me. Due to lack of options, I was forced to move back in with my mother to create distance from coercive control. However, ongoing maternal psychological abuse and constant triggers from the environment almost pushed me into psychosis and significantly worsened my complex PTSD, making recovery more difficult.

Context

With medical evidence, I was supported financially by the council to move away from my mother's home last year to a privately rented flat, where I could begin to find safety and stabilize myself. However, I have continued to struggle seriously with my mental health, especially as a result of isolation from community and support. I frequently have episodes where I struggle to look after myself and local organisations have proven unsuitable for my needs. Renting privately is also unaffordable and offers little security on a long-term basis.

I now have the opportunity to move into mental health supported accommodation in an area with a lot more to offer, and which will eventually bring me closer to finding long-term housing security through the council. However, my current landlord is not allowing me to leave my tenancy early under the break clause as I had anticipated due to it being written in a misleading way. I am therefore liable to continue paying rent here, as well as for my room in supported accommodation - until they find another tenant. There is currently no sign of interest in my current flat.

Help

My current rent is £895 per month, but I am expected to move into the new accommodation on Monday and pay rent there. They are not allowing me to delay the move, so if I don't move in by the 30th I will lose the room completely. I am applying for part-time cleaning jobs to earn as much as I can to cover the extra costs for myself, but I am limited in how much I can earn without losing my benefits, and not currently well enough to work full-time. So, I am looking to raise enough money to cover as much of the rent as possible.

Refunds

Should the landlord find a new tenant before the end of the month, I will not be liable for the full months rent. In this case, all unused donations will be returned to you. Please do not make your donations anonymous, so that I can refund you the money if necessary.

Thank you in advance! Your support will be very much appreciated. This will help my quality of life significantly.